Who Saves a Savior?
by ArSommers
Summary: ["The Tale of the Bear and the Dragon", Book 3] When Lannister forces attack Meereen, it is Daenerys turn to save Jorah.
1. Chapter 1

A queen's work was never over. Daenerys was experiencing this first-hand as she met with members of other cities in Slaver's Bay. Not that she minded the work; some weeks were busier than others, and this one happened to involve meeting people outside the area she reigned. Daenerys brought Missandei on the journey, along with fifty of the Unsullied and various men and women of noble birth in Meereen. Jorah was ruling in Daenerys absence, with Grey Worm counseling her husband and overseeing the Unsullied.  
Which was why Daenerys was astounded when her commander and a number of his men abandoned their post to find her.  
Out of the corner of her eye Daenerys saw Missandei visibly tense as Grey Worm approached. She must want to reach out and hold him, Daenerys realized, because Grey Worm and those who rode with him appeared to be bloodied from battle.  
"Meereen has been attacked," Grey Worm informed them as the horse he rode halted in front of the queen. "We tried to send ravens to notify you immediately, but our assailants killed every bird we had,"  
Daenerys rose, a fire ignited in her eyes. "Who would dare do such a thing?"  
"These men held no banners, bore no sigils, and wore no colors, but they were too well trained to have come from nowhere," Grey Worm said. "They held no interest in the people of Meereen, only rode straight for your palace. We defended the fortress with everything we had, but their numbers were great," Grey Worm's eyes narrowed. "When our reinforcements came and they realized they could stay no longer they departed, but not before taking Ser Jorah with them,"


	2. Chapter 2

The burlap sack covering Jorah's head wasn't removed until he'd been seated in a tent miles from Meereen. The first thing Jorah tried to do was identify his attackers, but these were unfamiliar faces in unidentifiable armor.  
"Ser Jorah Mormont," one of the men sneered. "Or…forgive me…is it KING Mormont now?"  
"Do I know you?" Jorah asked.  
"Likely not. But I've heard tales of you, the knight who sold slaves," the man spat on the ground in disgust.  
"What is it that you want?" Jorah asked, though he already knew the answer.  
"What I want?" the man gave a humorless laugh. "What I want is a nice flagon of wine after that desert we crossed, but in the meantime I'll have to settle with answers from you," The man pulled out a dagger, placed it under Jorah's chin, and raised the knight's head so he was eye level with his kidnapper. "I want to know where Daenerys Targaryen is,"  
"That is an answer I will never give,"  
"Jorah tasted a mix of blood and metal as the man backhanded him across the face. He inadvertently tried to touch his jaw, but his hands were bound behind his back. "Perhaps 'want' wasn't the best choice of words," the man said. "I NEED to know where this white haired girl who calls herself a queen is,"  
"And who's asking?" Jorah managed to say.  
The man smiled, showing a set of crooked yellow teeth. "Garrison is the name," he said, "Not that it matters much to you,"  
Jorah looked Garrison over. The man was well built and carried multiple weapons, as were the handful of other men in the room. "You carry no banners," Jorah decided, "And you wear no colors beyond the grey of steel. You must be a sell-sword,"  
"Ding ding ding, that's the answer!"  
"Jorah wondered who this Garrison man was working for. Since he was after Daenerys, he obviously worked with someone who felt their power was being threatened. And who held power?  
"The man had a distinct Westerosi accent, eliminating those he knew in Slaver's Bay. It couldn't be Stannis or Renly Baratheon, as last Jorah heard both men were dead. The Starks were trying to rally the North and gain independence from their current oppressors. Which meant there was only one family left: the Lannisters.  
"Neither you nor the Lannisters will defeat Daenerys," Jorah said. "There are many who would ride into battle with her, along with three full grown dragons,"  
"Three you say?" Garrison looked at the other men in the tent. "Did you hear that boys? King Jorah here thinks Daenerys has THREE dragons!"  
Jorah's insides turned to ice as everyone in the tent laughed. What exactly had happened after they'd knocked him unconscious and obscured his vision? Last he'd seen additional Unsullied were coming to their aid (albeit from a distance) while Rhaegal and Viserion clambered their unknown enemies on the ground.  
"Gully," Garrison addressed one of the other men and pointed his knife at Jorah, "Take this man outside and show him the gifts we intend to present to Queen Cersei. Mind that you keep his hands tied though, we don't want him squirming away,"  
"Aye, that we don't," The man named Gully pulled Jorah to his feet and pushed him out the flap of the door.  
Jorah didn't have to walk any further to see what Garrison was talking about: in the near distance lay the bloodied heads of Rhaegal and Viserion.


	3. Chapter 3

Without any indication as to where Jorah was taken, Daenerys had no choice but to return to Meereen. Just as Grey Worm had said, the damage to the city was minimal, but the interior of the palace lay in ruins: windows were smashed, tables were broken, and lounge pillows were ripped to feathered shreds.  
"How many attacked the city?" Daenerys asked.  
"About three thousand," Grey Worm replied. "They came in droves by the sea. Viserion and Rhaegal obliterated many before they even touched shore,"  
Daenerys nodded. "How many of the attackers do we have in captivity?"  
"I've been told exactly thirty-seven,"  
"And what have we learned from them?"  
"I have not yet spoken directly with the Unsullied who are guarding them,"  
"Then go do so," Daenerys ordered. "Find out everything you can about where they were intending to take Jorah first. Once we have that information we will ride. After Jorah's return we will speak to them again about what they hoped- and failed- to accomplish this day,"


	4. Chapter 4

There was a part of Jorah that didn't want Daenerys to come for him.  
While there was nowhere Jorah wished to be more than in Dany's arms, he dreaded the idea of her facing this fleet. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have objected to Daenerys attacking on the offense; after all, she was near indestructible while riding Drogon. But the Lannisters had obtained the largest crossbows Jorah had ever seen, mounted on ships with arrows as tough as steel and as thick as castle walls. It was these weapons that shot not one, but two dragons out of the sky, killing them instantly.  
Jorah mourned the loss of Daenerys' two dragons, but not as much as he knew his queen would. He wondered if she'd already learned what had befallen Rhaegal and Viserion. The thought of her reaction pained him immensely, so he tried to force it out of his mind by bringing it back to the situation at hand.  
The sell swords were the ones guarding Jorah, and from what he could tell the majority of the ones who stormed the palace. While sell swords were not the most reliable of men, this crowd would be exceedingly loyal given that their payment was coming from the Lannister's seemingly bottomless pockets. Of course, the Lannisters's navy partook in the battle as well, though many stayed with or near their ships.  
Either way, Jorah knew what this attack meant for the future. Daenerys had planned to be the one to cross the sea and take back the Iron Throne, but they'd waited too long: their enemies made the first move by coming to them in Meereen. Whether Jorah lived or died in the camp, war was all too imminent.  
It was only then did Jorah hear the unmistakable shriek from Drogon, signaling his Khaleesi's arrival.


	5. Chapter 5

Daenerys felt a million emotions as Drogon flew her over the enemy's camp. First and foremost, she was resolute on finding Jorah. She didn't believe his captures had killed him, at least not until they had her in their sights and could use Jorah as a pawn. Second, she was growing increasingly worried about the whereabouts of Viserion and Rhaegal. It was unlike them to disappear, especially since fighting had broken out in Meereen. One of the Unsullied said he thought he saw Viserion drop from the sky, but Daenerys had a hard time believing that this was the enemy's doing. The scales on her dragons were thicker than any hide; she'd yet to see any weapon penetrate their skin. She'd told herself that the soldier must have seen the dragon swoop down for an attack, but their continued absence was becoming harder to ignore.  
A part of Daenerys wanted nothing more than to burn her enemies alive after she'd taken Jorah to safety. It would have been incredibly easy to vanquish her enemies from her vantage point in the sky. A human's legs could only carry a person so far, while the flap of a dragon's wings could cover a much larger distance. But Daenerys knew there were farmers in the surrounding lands, which led to the possibility that a fire shot from such a high altitude could easily spread in the arid climate. She didn't want to harm innocent people; as it were, she decided anyone whose livelihoods had been disrupted that day she would repay the damages threefold.  
The camp wasn't big, and only three tents had been erected. While Daenerys couldn't see individual faces from above, she was fairly certain that Jorah was being kept as a hostage in one of the tents. She would have preferred to attack when the Unsullied were closer, but she would not linger aimlessly while waiting for them to catch up. Wherever they were they could see Drogon in the sky, and they could pinpoint the exact location when the smoke began to rise.  
With a warriors cry Daenerys tugged on her dragon's neck, who responded by plummeting to earth.


	6. Chapter 6

Drogon's roars mixed with the shouts of sell swords and Lannisters. Jorah was still being held captive inside the tent, but he could imagine the chaos outside. He'd stood up, ready to bound outside and reveal himself, but was forced back down by Garrison.  
"Keep the 'Knight King' here while I help deal with the dragon," Garrison ordered Gully and the other sell swords. "If we didn't have so many green men stationed at this camp that third dragon would be dead by now,"  
Jorah hoped they weren't camped next to the sea. If they were, he feared what the ships with the mounted crossbows would do to Drogon and, as a result, Daenerys. He would have his answer shortly, as Drogon's tail slipped under the canvas, uprooted the spikes that held the tent in place, and flung the canvas as far as he could into the sea, revealing all the contents underneath.  
The sell swords mission was instantly forgotten. Leaving Jorah where he sat, some of the men ran away from the giant beast, while others attempted to attack with their swords. Drogon had the upper hand by knocking and clawing the scrambling humans out of his way. The only sell sword who kept to his post was Gully, and the only difference that made was he died last and with a spike through the throat.  
With the enemies out of their immediate vicinity, Daenerys dismounted Drogon and kneeled next to Jorah. "Are you hurt?" she asked as she cut his hands free and glanced for any traces of open wounds.  
"Pride's a little hurt that I was taken by a group as foolish as this lot, but I'm otherwise okay,"  
"Are you sure?" Jorah winced as Daenerys lightly placed her hand on his chin to turn his face towards her. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "We'll get you back to Meereen and have your wounds tended to as quickly as possible,"  
Jorah eagerly anticipated that. Garrison had struck him hard across the face with a hand covered in chain-mail. The bruises that would inevitably appear would not take kindly to his skin.  
Then, without warning, Daenerys forced Jorah to the ground, shielding him as a blast of hot fire burned behind her back. Jorah barely had time to process what had just happened when he saw Garrison approaching.  
"So it IS true then," the man scowled as Daenerys helped Jorah to his feet, "The Mother of Dragons is immune to fire. Because I know my aim was spot on,"  
Jorah placed an arm in front of Daenerys defensively. Every weapon he'd had on his person was removed when he'd been knocked unconscious. Daenerys was not a trained fighter, but Jorah would make use with whatever he had at his disposal.  
"Oh, come off it," Garrison sneered. "We have what we want in our sights," Garrison plunged his longsword downward, but even in his weakened state Jorah was quicker, grabbing an overturned wooden chair that had been under the tent and deflecting the blow. Garrison made another attack and failed, but when Jorah's eyes were focused on the sword Garrison pulled a dirk out of his boot and slashed Jorah behind one of his knees. When Jorah involuntarily dropped on his wounded knee, Garrison slashed at the other.  
"My quarrel is not with you," the sell sword said as he stamped his foot on one of Jorah's open wounds. "It's with the white-haired woman who's trying to take the throne," Garrison locked Daenerys in an iron grip. "So fire can't hurt you, is that it?" he asked and he half pulled, half dragged her over to the sea. "Then let's see if you water has any effect,"  
Jorah watched in horror as Garrison forced Daenerys' head under water. Despite the roaring pain in his legs, Jorah willed himself to stand and take one step at a time. Drogon was not aware of what was going on, as he was simultaneously fighting sell swords and trying to maneuver out of the way of the giant crossbows. Everything was depended on the knight now.  
At first Jorah wasn't sure he'd reach Daenerys in time. But he managed to close the space between them and wrench Daenerys free of Garrison's grip. The sell sword's eyes went wide; he hadn't expected Jorah to move from the spot he'd left him.  
Shouting with rage, Jorah pulled the dirk out of the sheath on Garrison's belt. He'd intended to strike, but the sell sword, realizing he may very well be defeated at such a short range, took on the defensive and ran away. Jorah had neither the interest nor the strength to go after him. All that mattered was Daenerys, who was lying on the ground unconscious.  
When she didn't respond to his touch, Jorah began to administer CPR. His heart pounded wildly as he tried to resuscitate the love of his life. "This cannot be the last time my lips touch hers," he thought as he breathed into her mouth. "I won't allow it,"  
Still no response. Jorah tried again, refusing to give up. "I swore to protect her," Jorah now had tears in his eyes. "What kind of knight…no, PERSON…would I be if I not only broke my promise, but she died because of me?"  
Finally, Daenerys gave a sputtering cough. "Khaleesi?!" Jorah turned her on her side while his face shone with tears. She was alive, and that was all that mattered to him in that instant. He was so focused on her that he didn't even see that the Unsullied had arrived, destroying the last of the enemies that remained on land.  
"Jorah," Daenerys' voice was hoarse when she was able to speak again.  
"Yes," Jorah gripped her tightly. "I'm right here Khaleesi, you're going to be okay,"  
Tears welled up in Daenerys' eyes. "A moment ago I saw Rhaegal and Viserion, but now I only see you. Please tell me, where are my dragons?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you sure you want to do this?" one of the Unsullied asked.  
"They are my children," Daenerys replied. "This is something I must do. Take me to where they lay,"  
Once Jorah was secured in a makeshift sled and on his way back to Meereen, Daenerys followed a number of the Unsullied to where Viserion and Rhaegal lay. She'd known in her heart that two of her precious dragons were gone ever since she had the fleeting vision. While this did not ease the pain of learning what happened to them, it allowed her to keep most of her composure when she was told they'd been shot out of the sky and beheaded as "trophies for the usurpers".  
When Daenerys came upon Rhaegal and Viserion she stopped dead in her tracks. Drogon was already there, sitting beside his siblings.  
"Leave me," Daenerys said as she stared at the scene in front of her.  
"My Queen, it would be unwise to-"  
"LEAVE ME!"  
It wasn't until the Unsullied were a safe distance away that Daenerys allowed the tears to fall freely. She didn't want her people to see her break down, but she hadn't felt this vulnerable in years. The hatching of the three dragon eggs had been a miracle to not only her, but any who encountered the reptiles. And now, with a few orders from men in ships, two of her precious creatures were no more.  
"I'm so sorry," Daenerys cried as she rested a hand on each of the dragons. "I'm so, so sorry this happened to you,"


	8. Chapter 8

Daenerys spent the next few days alone with Drogon. She would periodically check on Jorah, but the physicians had administered such large quantities of milk of the poppy for his wounds and broken knee that she would often find him asleep. So she would ride on Drogon to the hills, contemplating all that had occurred and all that could happen as a result.  
But before Daenerys brought her plans to her counsel, she deemed it necessary that a funeral pyre be built for Rhaegal and Viserion. While fire could not kill a dragon, it would consume the carcass. The dragons had entered the world in flames; Daenerys thought it only fitting that their bodies leave by it as well.  
The blaze of the pyre burned brightly under the night sky, lighting the surrounding area as if it were day. Missandei stood on one side of Daenerys, while Grey Worm stood on the other. She would have had Jorah at her side, but he was still immobile and cloudy of thoughts from the painkilling plant. Through the observance Daenerys stood somber but stone-faced, clutching a necklace she'd had fashioned bearing a tooth from each dragon.  
Once the ceremony closed Daenerys retreated to her quarters. She wanted nothing more than to be with family, and it was in her bedchambers where the only human in her family lay.  
"You may take your leave," Daenerys said to the guard watching Jorah. "I will stay by his side tonight,"  
Once Daenerys had changed out of her black mourners dress (which by now smelled strongly of smoke) and into a pale night gown, she sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Jorah's hair. She'd lost two of her dragons, and she'd almost lost her husband as well. Fortunately she had the best physicians in Meereen care for the knight, and they were able to close the wounds on his legs before any infection could take place.  
Despite the humidity of the evening, Daenerys shuddered. She'd come far too close to losing everything. What good would it be to gain the Iron Throne but lose the ones closest to her?  
Jorah's eyes fluttered open. "Khaleesi?"  
Daenerys pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Did I wake you?"  
"Hardly,"  
"Do you need more milk of the poppy?"  
"No thank you," Jorah replied. "The pain has lessened immensely. It's not nearly as bad as it was a few days ago,"  
"And your legs?"  
"They will require time to heal, particularly the knee the sell sword broke," Jorah looked at her with concern in his eyes. "How are you faring?"  
Daenerys bit her lip and turned away. She didn't mind shedding a few tears now and then in front of her husband, but even then she felt she'd cried too often lately when she was alone with Drogon. And yet, her eyes had yet to run dry.  
"They took them from me," Daenerys said. "The Lannisters took my children from me,"  
Jorah propped himself into a sitting position and placed his hand over hers. "I'm truly sorry. If there is anything I can do…" he trailed off. He'd give Daenerys the world if he could, but he knew even that would never bring Viserion and Rhaegal back.  
"I want you to follow me to Dragonstone," Daenerys said bluntly.  
"Dragonstone?" Jorah repeated. Whatever he'd expected her to say, this was certainly not it.  
"Yes. The castle is mine by birthright, and since nobody has occupied it since Stannis Baratheon's occupation, it's time I take it back. From there we can make our plans against the Lannisters,"  
"And what of Meereen?" Jorah asked.  
"Daario can rule in my absence. He's proven time and time again he's worthy of taking on the responsibility of this city," Daenerys placed her hands on Jorah's shoulders. "I need you by my side," she professed. "When you are able to walk again we shall take our leave, along with Drogon, Missandei, Grey Worm, and a great number of the Unsullied,"  
Jorah wrapped his arms around Daenerys and pulled her closer to him. He'd vowed to stay by her side until his last breath, and he would honor that with everything he had. "I will follow wherever you lead,"


	9. Chapter 9

"And you're sure two of the dragons are dead?" Cersei asked from the Iron Throne.  
"Saw them go down with my own eyes," Garrison replied. "We were going to present the heads to you to place among the collection in the dungeons, but the army of Unsullied were there before we could do much more,"  
"A welcomed gesture, but it's no matter," Cersei said. "The dragons are the Targaryen girl's most dangerous weapons, and in the span of one day the Lannisters, sell swords, and Greyjoys were able to eliminate two. Most impressive,"  
"I believe the Greyjoys are to thank for the dragon's fall," Euron spoke up. "It was with our men and ships that we were able to complete the task,"  
"I didn't see you or any of the bloody Greyjoys on land risking your neck in Meereen," Garrison shot back.  
"Enough!" Cersei ordered. Men's' egos could be so fragile when provoked. "This is a great victory for us all. Daenerys has seen the might that we carry. I've no doubt that because of what we've accomplished she will plan a retaliative attack, which was why we've had some of our men and women assimilate into Meereen to pose as civilians so we may receive some word of her plans. Until then, we will celebrate another glorious victory,"

[Thank you for the favs, reads, and reviews! The next story is titled "Hollowed Prophecies".]


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